Mark - Re:"Intel knows less than you do...."
Today, looking back to last year, it is much clearer what was happening. But that is hindsight.
Regarding Intel's motherboard venture - when Intel designs new CPUs or peripherals, they could wait for the chip set suppliers to design new chip sets after the CPU is released, then wait for the OEMs to design motherboards around the whole group of new devices. This used to be standard business practice at Intel.
However, this method requires SERIAL processing - designing the CPU followed (mostly) by some chip set designers doing their thing at their own pace, followed by OEMs designing motherboards and/or systems.
Intel, by doing all three processes more or less concurrently (since they obviously have the straight skinny on the new CPU details) can bring their new CPUs to market quite a bit sooner. By market I mean a fully functional system that you or I could buy.
This quick transfer of CPUs from the Fab to the consumer accelerates the pace of technology deployment, which gives Intel an outstanding lead vis-a-vis its competitors.
Their standard CPU rollout these days is to have an announcement of the new CPU/speed grade accompanied by OEM system vendors who, at the Intel announcement, introduce their new systems using the new CPU and/or motherboard/chip sets and announcing immediate availability of the whole shebang.
Clearly, this strategy has its downside, as you noted. Lower margins, in general, are another one. But Intel is able to JUMP START the market with a new CPU cycle by employing this strategy.
A secondary benefit is the ability to assess their own designs from a system performance standpoint. With this kind of internal feedback, and the engineering resources they possess, technology improvements in motherboard/peripheral/chip set designs percolate through the system much faster.
So, there is a positive upside to this approach.
As a comparison, witness the CYRIX 6x86 "roll out" from last January. (Mark I believe you also follow the Cyrix thread). They announced these "fast" x86 chips and months went by before some third tier board designer coupled with a third tier chip set designer can produce a functional motherboard. This delay is LOST opportunity. Cyrix has recognized this and is making a (feeble) attempt to emulate Intel's approach.
Paul |
